I am looking for a low flow rate water pump for a water circulation device, similar to a pump that you would find in an aquarium pump. The flow rate that I am looking for is between 1-5 GPM. The only OEM pumps that I am finding now are between $100 - $400, however, a simple aquarium pump can be bought for less than $50.

If you have any suggestions of water pumps that could work I would appreciate it.

Also are there any distributors that focus on electro/mechanical components such as how DigiKey and Mouser focus on more semiconductor related products.

- Fluid is fresh water
- Rate is 1-5 Gallons per Minute or 60 - 300 Gallons per Hour
- Application is to keep the water at a constant temperature by recirculating water over a heat exchange coil

I am used to designing devices mostly with IC components in them and usually use DigiKey and Mouser in addition to some specific manufacturers for my IC components. I usually do not get involved with larger non-IC components such as the pumps that I am looking for.

It seems like all the pumps I find are for commercials or residential use for a specific end of line application such as for a hottube, pool, water main pipe, etc... I am trying to find a manufacturer or distributor that distributes the OEM pump that can be used for mass quantity buys 1000+.

For example a Fishtank pump products will go and find the a specific pump for their need and develop their product using the OEM pump and then turn around an sell the pump for $45-100. I am trying to find the non-specific OEM pumps that I can get a hold of as opposed to the already developed end-of-line pump product.

I am not trying to locate a consumer product though, I am trying to buy an OEM component. If you look at CPU cooling pumps, fish tank pumps, etc those usually sell for $20 - 100 because they get there product from the manufacturer. For example if you by a refrigerator, they have a pump in there that is not the typical consumer product that you can by at a retail store such as a sump pump or other types of retail pumps. I am asking if anyone is familiar with distributors that offer low flow rate pumps that you can buy to integrate into a device as opposed a hobby project were you would just go to a radioshack and buy your part retail.

Also Ebay and other retail solutions don't provide a reliable distribution that can supply the quantity over the lifetime of the product and will not meet demands of initial ordering quantities.

No!...no!...no! Been there...done that! The bearings in those are nylon. They're only meant to run for a second or two at a shot. I tried three different brands. If you try to run them continuously, even for short periods, the bearings melt.

In lab applications (circulating water baths), these are referred to as immersion pumps. Maybe add that to your Googling terms. The good ones run for years at elevated temperature. I believe they are usually centrifugal pumps at the end of a shaft, with the motor itself NOT under the water.